Man’s next move after allegedly brawling in street with NRL journo Paul Kent
A man has revealed his next step after he was charged with throwing NRL journalist Paul Kent into a tree during a wild street brawl outside a pub.
A man will have to wait until the end of the month to learn whether police will withdraw the charges against him in relation to an alleged street brawl with sports journalist Paul Kent.
Tamer Uzun, 35, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray in relation to a violent clash with the NRL commentator outside Totti’s restaurant on April 27.
Police allege the pair were involved in a heated verbal argument that turned physical on the footpath of Evans St in Rozelle, in Sydney’s inner west.
A court was previously told Mr Kent, 54, had been drinking for 11 hours when he came across Mr Uzun, who had been dining at Totti’s.
Police allege Mr Uzun asked the NRL journalist about a sports game before the pair began to throw fiery insults at each other.
In a widely shared video of the incident, the pair then swapped insults for physical blows as the fight spilt from the footpath onto the road.
After some sparring in the middle of the street, the video appears to show Mr Uzun throwing Mr Kent upside down into a nearby tree.
The journalist sustained significant injuries during the street fight, including six fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
Mr Kent was last month handed a two-year good behaviour bond without conviction after he pleaded guilty to affray. He has been let go from roles at Fox Sports and The Daily Telegraph.
After the NRL journalist was sentenced, Mr Uzun’s legal team asked police to withdraw the affray charge against the younger man.
If police don’t agree to withdraw the charges against the 35-year-old, his lawyer Bryan Wrench indicated on Thursday that he would ask for his client’s bail conditions to be relaxed.
He told Sydney Downing Centre Local Court that he would ask for Mr Uzun’s nightly curfew to be removed when the matter returns to court later this month.
Mr Uzun will have been before the courts for nearly four months when he returns to court on August 21.
On that date, he will learn whether he has had the brawling charge against him dropped.